Tips for Cheap Travel This Summer
How do you plan an amazing summer adventure without breaking the bank? As a travel expert, wanted to share a few of my tips and tricks to help make your summer travel more affordable.
Seek Affordable Destinations:
Travel to off the radar destinations where you can get more bang for your buck.
-Puerto Rico has been in the news a lot lately and between the economic crisis and Zika worries, there are deals to be had for savvy traveler. Puerto Rico has the exoticism of a foreign country – from rain forest treks, to the charming cobble-stone lined streets of Old San Juan and a rich cultural heritage – but with the ease of domestic travel (i.e. not having to have your passport or deal with foreign currency.)
-Ski resorts during the off-season can also provide great value for travelers, plus there are fewer crowds and unparalleled access to nature hikes and mountain biking.)
-Don’t forget about Canada (and I’m not just saying this because I’m Canadian). The US $ goes much further there. 1 Canadian dollar = 77 cents American. A trip to Montreal will give you the French flair of Europe at a fraction of the cost.
-2016 is the year to celebrate the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. This summer, enjoy one of the 409 national parks our country has to offer. There are many days of waived entrance fees, including the weekend of August 25 through 28: National Park Service’s 100th Birthday (marking the day when President Wilson signing the “Organic Act,” creating the National Park Service.)
If you’re not sure where to go, Yonder is a great app for outdoor enthusiasts that will inspire and offer some amazing places to check out. As an on-air adventure travel expert, here are some on my list:
-Hidden Lake at Glacier National Park in Montana (360-degree view of glacier-carved peaks).
-Sentinel Dome at Yosemite National Park in California (Abe Lincoln established Yosemite Valley as public land in 1864. Hike to see sweeping views of El Capitan, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls, the highest measured waterfall in North America.)
-Sable Pass at Denali National Park in Alaska (Head out on an Alaskan style safari to spot grizzly bear, sheep, wolf, caribou and moose).
-Inspiration Point at Channel Islands National Park in California (biologists have called this North America’s Galapagos, since they contain 145 endemic species, including the rust-red harbor fox. Hike along the volcanic islands to spot blue whales and brown pelicans. Spend the day kayaking, shooting through caves and paddling through kelp beds.)
Tools To Save Money of Flights This Summer:
Flights are often the most expensive aspects of travel, but here are two of my favorite travel tools to help you save money on flights this Summer:
-Hopper.com – this app tells you best times to fly and buy. Suggests alternative airports and airlines. Hopper will tell you to “wait” or “buy” if it thinks the price will go up in the future.
-Google Flights – If your dates are flexible (cheapest to fly Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday), this is a great resource for finding affordable flights! use the map feature to explore destinations within your budget. Plug in city of origin, dates and scroll on map to see where you could fly for that price. This opens up a whole world of possibilities to cities you might not of thought of.
Free Stop Overs – Finnair launched a free stopover program similar to the Iceland Air. Passengers flying through Helsinki can opt to spend up to five days in Finland at no additional cost—on either end of their journeys.
Save Money Through Social Media – Follow your five hotel, airline, destinations through Facebook and Twitter (Cheap fares shared via @FareDealAlert @TheFlightDeal @Airfarewatchdog). They offer special deals and promotions not necessarily advertised elsewhere.
